The Hinners Organ, Zion Lutheran, Gordonville, MO

In the heartland of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod stands a country church served by my pastor-grandfather, Gottlieb Balthasar Seboldt, for 35 years, until his death in 1973. Our visits to Zion Lutheran, Gordonville MO (about 90 miles south of St. Louis, and near Cape Girardeau, MO) always included visits to this funky little Hinners organ, which always impressed me with its character even though far from the ideals of organ tone I was learning in school and lessons. Its 8′ “Humongous Open Diapason” would almost rip your ears off at the console, especially in the treble, but when in the room leading a singing congregation, this is what made it effective. In the 2003 renovation by the St. Louis Pipe Organ Company, it has been somewhat toned down, according to my uncle Arthur Seboldt who has lived across the highway from this church for many years, settling back into country life on the farm of the family of his wife Mildred (nee Grossheider) after some years of Lutheran school teaching. This disappoints me somewhat, since I wanted to check my fading memory on how loud it really was, but hey, things change.

Hinners could be called the “Ford” of pipe organ builders, providing some economical stock models. Naturally, they also built larger custom organs until they folded in the late 30’s. A description of this very model is found in Orpha Ochse’s book on the 19th-century American organ:

“For $485.00 we deliver this organ, one manual with four divided stops on the manual and an independent 15-note pedal bourdon. The organ arrives securely packed in boxes and crates on railroad cars or steamboat.

“Added to the cost is freight and the round-trip fare for one of our men to assemble, set-up and tune the organ. We make no charge for the time to do this work… only the traveling expense.”

Amazingly useful, even if you don’t exploit the divided stops. The accompanying recording demonstrates some possibilities. Careful improvisation, observing the manual division and limits of the partial-compass pedal bass, can open up some fine possibilities.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed revisiting this instrument of memory and playing for you!

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